


The Loudest Silence

by WangEun



Series: Can You Hear The World Crashing? [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU in which Sokka is deaf, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And Zuko said the F word (friends), Deaf Sokka, Friendship, Gen, Zuko is a jerkbender, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24548113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WangEun/pseuds/WangEun
Summary: Sokka may be deaf, but he is the loudest person that Zuko has ever met.
Series: Can You Hear The World Crashing? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858984
Comments: 13
Kudos: 157





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This idea is based off of an AU drabble I did many years ago. Now that I've re-watched the series and found new inspiration for writing again, I decided to expand on my idea of Sokka being deaf. This is what came out of it.

Zuko used to think that deaf people were quiet.

Much to the banished prince's dismay, he has come to realize that this is nowhere near the truth. Sokka may be deaf, but he is the loudest person that Zuko has ever met. This is true not only because the water tribesman doesn't seem to realize how much noise he makes unconsciously whenever he does anything at all, but also because when it comes down to it, Sokka just loves to talk. Despite his obvious challenges with communication, especially with those aside from his sister (the only one in their group who is confident in signing), Sokka always has something to say. If he can't get the message across himself with his body language, he's either writing it down or having Katara translate for him.

It is infuriating.

"Aren't your fingers tired by now? Stop talking to me."

Sokka doesn't need to be able to hear to understand what Zuko's face means. His own expression falters for a moment, disappointment flashing across his face, but it's wiped away in an instant in a typical Sokka manner. Smiling again, he continues, wanting to at least finish what he was explaining before ultimately leaving the prince alone as he's obviously not in the conversational mood.

Zuko scowls when Sokka's fingers brush against his shoulder. He knows the younger is trying to grab his full attention again, but Zuko has just about had it today. He's hungry. He's tired. He's hot. Maybe he wouldn't mind talking with Sokka so much if it were done as casually as with everyone else, off-handed comments thrown at each other without even so much of a glance. But Sokka requires so much attention when he talks. He needs eye contact. He needs 100% focus. It's exhausting and too much.

Sokka is too much.

"Stop touching me." He shoots Sokka a glare, making sure to lock gazes so the other understands the message loud and clear. "I am not in the mood. You are the last person in this camp that I want to have a conversation with, so stop talking to me and leave me alone."

Again, Sokka doesn't need to hear to know what that means. Though he doesn't catch all the words uttered from the fire prince's lips, he understands from Zuko's expression enough. Now is not the time for a conversation. Sokka deflates like a balloon but nods his understanding, quickly signing out a "sorry" before getting up and leaving the prince's side. He knows that Zuko has tried hard to tolerate him. Getting along with him hasn't been easy, but he gives him credit for trying. Sokka would be the first to admit that he's been pushing hard to find a connection and, despite a few setbacks, he thinks his persistence is starting to pay off. Still, Sokka knows when he's being a burden. Zuko is good at getting that message across to him. When this happens, it's better to steer clear of the prince's way to let him cool off - both figuratively and literally.

Zuko watches as Sokka walks back over to his sleeping sack and takes a seat on top of it. Momo scurries into his lap quickly, like a mother tending its injured child, and for a second the prince almost wonders if he's imagining the glare that the lemur shoots in his direction. Shaking his head of the thought, he sighs and turns away. He hates it when Sokka looks so dejected like this. It's pathetic and pulls at his heartstrings in the most annoying way possible. Though Sokka may usually try to mask his hurt feelings behind a grin or a joke, with no one else in the camp except for them, Sokka doesn't seem to be trying very hard.

To avoid guilt, Zuko ignores him completely.

The good thing about tuning Sokka out is that it's easy. One look away from the young warrior is enough.

* * *

When Zuko wakes, it's to the sound of voices. The prince sits up and looks around in confusion, wondering how long he'd been asleep. Judging by the way the sky looks darker, he knows it's been at least an hour, if not two. Then again, that could just be the storm clouds rolling in.

"Zuko," Katara greets. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."

"Looks like you were having a pretty good nap," Aang comments with a smile.

The prince hastily wipes his face, just in case he's been drooling, and shrugs. He feels awkward in front of them like this. Though they've been together for some time now, he's still getting used to the idea that they're friends. Being former enemies and trying to kill each other (or at least him trying to kill them) definitely poses its challenges. Still, he appreciates the way they've all welcomed him. It wasn't easy to earn their trust before and he knows he's still earning it now, but the fact that they gave him a chance at all is more than he could ever ask of anyone.

"It was okay. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"Well, we did train pretty hard earlier. I think we'll both sleep well tonight." The Avatar bounces over and takes a seat beside his firebending instructor, offering him some fruit. "Want some? We got a lot of delicious things at the market, and for a good price too! Toph is really good at bartering."

The blind earthbender sits herself down across from them and shrugs. "Hey, what can I say? I'm good at a lot of things."

Zuko watches Toph for a moment, but then shakes his head at Aang, politely declining the offer of fruit. Aang doesn't seem bothered and simply grabs an apple for himself, taking a bite out of it. For a moment, a comfortable silence falls over the group, until Katara pipes up with a question.

"Wait a minute... Where's Sokka?"

As if suddenly remembering that the male water tribesman exists, Zuko furrows his brows and glances around the camp. True enough, Sokka is nowhere to be seen. The last place the prince had seen the warrior was on his sleeping sack with Momo, but now only the lemur remains. Momo flies over to perch himself on Aang's head, not giving away any secrets.

"I don't know. He was right here a minute ago," Zuko says. "Well… he was before I fell asleep."

"I don't feel him anywhere," Toph adds. "He must've left camp."

Katara frowns. It is in her nature to worry, especially about her brother. "He should've said something before leaving. He knows he's supposed to say something, at least in a note. That way we know where he is and don't have to worry about him." She turns to Zuko. "He didn't mention anything to you about going anywhere?"

Zuko shakes his head.

"Well, Zuko was asleep," Aang reminds them. "Maybe Sokka just didn't want to wake him up. He's probably planning on coming back soon. Maybe that's why he didn't leave a note either."

"Yeah. I'm sure he's fine, Katara." Toph lies back and folds her arms under her head like a pillow. She is the very picture of relaxation. "Sokka's a big boy. He can handle himself."

Katara nods. "I know, I know. I'm not saying that he can't. I just… wish he had said something, that's all. Plus, there's a storm rolling in. I wouldn't want him to get caught in it, wherever he is. It looks like it's going to be pretty bad."

The prince pushes himself up and dusts himself off, trying to fight the aggravating feeling of guilt building inside of him. It's not his fault that Sokka abandoned camp without a word, but he still can't help but wonder if he may be partially responsible for it. The way he'd snapped at the water tribesman earlier, it wouldn't surprise him that Sokka would have hesitated to say anything else to him. Still, he could have left a note if he was really planning on being gone long or going anywhere far. Something about the situation doesn't feel right. It makes the fire prince feel wrong.

"Sokka isn't an idiot. I'm sure he knows that there's a storm rolling in. He's probably on his way back already, or at least taking shelter somewhere until it passes. He'll be fine." Zuko tries to give Katara a reassuring look, but he's afraid that his discomfort is noticeable. "I have to… go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Nobody objects when he excuses himself. Heading out into their designated area of seclusion, the Fire Nation prince heaves a sigh and looks up into the clouds. The sky is sending a warning, one that anyone could understand, so Zuko tells himself not to worry. Sokka may be a lot of things, a lot of which get on his nerves, but he's at least not a complete dolt. Sokka can still see with his eyes and feel the breeze on his skin. He's certain that the young tribesman is well aware of the impending storm. It's very possible he was aware of it before anyone else was. That wouldn't surprise him.

After quickly tending to his business, Zuko begins walking. He has no specific destination in mind, but he doesn't feel like joining the rest of the group just yet, especially not if Katara is going to be worrying herself over her brother's whereabouts. The banished prince tries to enjoy a bit of solitude and take a few deep breaths, appreciating the nature that surrounds them. He wishes his uncle were around, to serve him tea and give him good life advice. Maybe his uncle would have something useful to say about his relationship with Sokka. For seemingly obvious reasons, he's the one that Zuko has had the hardest time connecting to. It's a shame, really, when the only other boy in the group is barely twelve (give or take a hundred years).

Zuko is pulled out of his thoughts when the first rain drop hits him right between the eyes. Flinching, he looks up into the sky as the clouds begin to unleash their tears. It looks like the sky is grieving for something, he thinks. Zuko bites back an unamused chuckle and begins to head in the direction of camp again, mulling over the thought that they're all grieving for something. Who isn't, now that the war has touched them all?

* * *

It's an hour into the storm when Katara really starts to get concerned. The bad weather doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon and Sokka is still missing. Zuko tries to console her with the thought that Sokka couldn't have gone very far, but that only serves to make the waterbender more paranoid. If he hadn't gone far, then why isn't he back yet? What's stopping him from returning? Zuko feels stupid when he doesn't have an answer for her.

"Don't worry, Katara. I'll go take a quick look around on Appa," Aang says, rising from his spot beside the fire. "Maybe I'll see Sokka and can give him a lift back. Zuko's right. He probably didn't go very far."

"It seems dangerous to go flying around right now," Zuko comments, glancing at the young airbender. The rain has been coming down sideways, so loud that he has to raise his voice a bit just to make sure he's heard over the thundering. "I don't think that's a good idea. Sokka probably found shelter and is just waiting the storm out. You're going to risk your own health if you go out there."

Toph sits up and smiles. "Aww… you hear that, guys? Sparky cares about Aang."

Zuko does care, but for some reason this embarrasses him, so he scowls in the blind earthbender's direction, forgetting that she can't see it. "I do not!" Then, when his comment is met with silence, he backtracks. "I mean… of course I do. Just… ugh! Shut up. You're the Avatar. It's too risky for you to go out there on your own. You're too valuable to let anything happen to."

Aang recognizes the logic of this, but frowns nonetheless. Looking at Katara, he sits back down slowly, feeling bad that he can't help.

Katara doesn't look disappointed though. She gives Aang an appreciative look and nods. "He's right, Aang. As much as I want to know that Sokka is okay, we can't risk you going out there in the storm. It's too dangerous. The best thing to do would be to just let the worst of it pass, and once it's safe to go out there again, then we can worry about finding Sokka."

"Yeah... And like Zuko said, Sokka probably did take up shelter for the storm," Aang replies. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Sokka is good at taking care of himself and he's smart. If there's anyone that will know how to protect himself from a storm, it's him! Right?"

Toph takes the liberty of answering. "Listen. Us ' _disabled_ ' folks, if that's what you want to call us, are really good with our senses - the ones that work, anyway. Sokka doesn't need to hear about a storm to know that it's coming. Even I could tell and I'm blind! So, I'm sure he's fine. People like us, we go with our gut feelings. And we all know that Sokka has a lot of gut feelings."

Zuko scratches his forehead.

"You're right," Katara says. "I'll try not to worry too much. It's just... "

"He's your brother," Aang finishes for her. "And you care about him a lot. We know."

Despite how obvious it is that everyone is concerned about their missing team member, as time goes on, a relatively normal conversation continues between the benders. Occasionally, Katara glances out into the rain as if trying to look for any approaching figures, but aside from that, she tries to act unbothered. She knows she has a tendency of being overprotective and overly concerned. She is this way about everyone she cares for, but especially her brother. Sokka is not only the most important person in her life, but someone that she promised to protect no matter the circumstances. With him being deaf and a non-bender, she's always looking out for him a bit more than most.

At some point, Toph seems to notice that Zuko has been awfully silent.

"Why are you so quiet today, Princey? Momo got your tongue or something?"

The lemur responds to the accusations with a chatter.

Zuko scoffs. "No. I don't let that thing anywhere near my mouth." He offers the lemur in question a brief glance, trying to look apologetic. "No offense, Momo… I wouldn't suspect you to do anything suspicious with my mouth anyway. I just don't have anything to say."

"You sure had a lot to say to Twinkle Toes when you were training him this morning."

"That's because his stance was all wrong. He needs a lot of corrections." Zuko ignores the way that Aang pouts and continues on. "Anyway, I told you that I was more tired than I thought. I didn't sleep well enough last night and this morning just kind of took it out of me."

Katara glances at the prince and waits until she's cleared her mouth of the rice she's eating before speaking. "What were you guys doing before you took your nap anyway? When the three of us were in town."

"Huh?" Zuko asks, dumbly.

"You and Sokka," Katara says. "What were you guys up to while we were gone?"

"Oh." The fire prince shifts uncomfortably in his seat, trying to think of something to say that doesn't sound mean or boring. "Uh… nothing. I don't know. We weren't really hanging out or anything. I mean, we were at first, but then Sokka decided he wanted to be left alone so we started doing our own things."

Toph sounds surprised. "Sokka wanted to be left alone?"

Zuko shrugs. "Yes?"

"Wow. Sokka never wants to be left alone. What did you do to him?" Aang asks.

"I didn't do anything to him!" Zuko responds, heated. "Why do you think that I did something? If anything, he's the one that did something to me. He wouldn't leave me alone and wouldn't stop trying to talk to me, even when I told him I didn't want to talk. He just kept tapping my shoulder over and over again as if I had nothing else better to do than to just sit there and listen to him try to talk to me about the stupidest stuff for an hour. I don't have the patience for that kind of thing."

He says those words with such resentment that for a moment the others just stare at him.

Then, Katara frowns. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I'm not trying to be harsh. He just gets on my nerves sometimes, that's all…" Zuko can feel everyone's gazes on him - at least, Aang's and Katara's gazes - and he squirms uncomfortably beneath their disappointed looks. Even Toph seems a bit disappointed, even if her eyes aren't looking where they should. Not wanting to look like The Bad Guy™ again, he tries to explain further. "It's not like it's just a Sokka thing, you know. You all get on my nerves sometimes!" Judging by their reactions, this isn't the right way to go about it, so he backtracks once more. "I mean… That's not a bad thing. Well, it is, but… doesn't everyone get on everyone's nerves sometimes? I'm sure I get on your nerves too."

"Trust me. You've gotten on our nerves plenty of times before, and that is an understatement," Katara says. "But yes… I suppose you're right. We're all a little stressed out and we're all forced to spend a lot of time together. It's inevitable that we're not always going to meet eye to eye. But… you didn't actually say that to Sokka, did you?"

"What?"

"That he was getting on your nerves."

Zuko shakes his head. "No, of course not. I said that I didn't want to talk to him and told him to leave me alone."

Katara scoffs. "And that's better?"

"It's not like he could hear what I said anyway! He's _deaf!_ " The Fire Nation prince rises from his seat, angry that he actually feels regretful about this. It would be easier if he didn't care, but he does, and it is incredibly frustrating to him. "Look, it's not my fault that he doesn't know when to be quiet. Obviously I was in a bad mood and he was just ignoring that. I told him to leave me alone because I wasn't interested in a conversation. That's all. I don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that you hurt his feelings and that's why he wanted to leave you alone," the waterbender shoots back. "And… come to think of it, that's probably why he left in the first place. Because you made him feel bad about trying to talk to you!"

Zuko has to resist the urge to pull out his hair. "Well then, he shouldn't have been trying to talk to me!"

Aang glances over at Toph, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden argument. The earthbender seems to feel the Avatar's gaze on her and simply offers up a shrug. Aang sighs and glances back at the two teenagers, Katara now standing to be face to face with the fire prince. Aang decides to step in and try to keep the peace.

"Guys… come on. Let's not pick fights with each other."

"I'm not picking any fights," Katara replies. "I'm just saying, Sokka probably left because Zuko made him upset."

"How could you possibly know that?" Zuko retorts. "Maybe he just got bored and wandered off to look for something to do. Why does it have to be my fault?"

"Because a lot of things that have gone wrong have been your fault!"

"But I already apologized for all of the things that I did wrong in the past!" The prince says, frowning. "I know I did some bad things and made some really messed up decisions, none of which my words will ever make up for alone… but I'm different now and you know that! I wouldn't try to hurt Sokka's feelings on purpose. Sokka and I are… Well, Sokka and I are friends, just like I'm friends with the rest of you! Or at least, we're working on it."

Zuko's sudden admission of friendship causes Katara to hold back her words. For a moment, there's a silence between them all, Aang waiting nervously to see how the waterbender will react to the comment. Though she's clearly still upset about Zuko potentially hurting her brother's feelings, there's also a softness to her expression now, one that shows that she's touched to hear the prince say something so nice to hear.

 _Friends_. It hadn't been acknowledged before until now.

Toph decides to break the silence with a laugh. "Zuko loves us."

Zuko balls his hands into fists at his side in response but doesn't bother to respond to that. Arguing is the last thing he wants to do with everyone, especially not when the arguing is only going to end up with him feeling more guilty and more embarrassed. So, he lets out a sigh and tries to stop himself from blushing. Either his cheeks are turning red or he's firebending without realizing it. Both options are bad.

Katara studies the banished prince for a moment before sighing herself. "You're right… You have apologized. And you've been trying really hard to make up for everything that happened in the past, so it wasn't fair for me to bring that up again. I'm sorry."

The prince simply grunts in response.

"I just… really want you and Sokka to get along," the girl continues. "Sokka actually really likes you, despite him being skeptical of you in the past like the rest of us. He told me so himself, though I'm sure it's obvious already. He really wants to get to know you, Zuko. You for who you are, not just as the Fire Lord's son, the one that constantly chased after us and tried to get us killed."

Zuko scowls, but Katara continues nonetheless.

"Sometimes I worry that Sokka can feel a little left out of conversations. Toph may be blind, but at least she can still hear us and talk to us easily. But Sokka… if I'm not here or if he doesn't have a piece of paper to write things down on, he can't really say much to you guys. You just don't know enough sign language for that. And he's really sociable, and I know that hurts him a lot to not be able to talk to you."

"I _know,_ " the prince responds. "I mean… I get it. I should try to have more patience with him." Zuko nods in agreement of this. "And trust me, I try my best to have patience with him most of the time. But today I just really couldn't deal with a conversation that demanding and I just needed a break. I wasn't trying to make him upset."

Aang nods, reaching forward to place a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "We know. It's not your fault."

"Well, it probably is your fault," Katara says. "But that's okay. I know how you feel. Sometimes Sokka can be a lot. Not just because he's deaf, but because he's…"

"Sokka?" Toph asks.

Katara actually chuckles. "Yeah, because he's Sokka."

Toph sits up a little straighter, tilting her head. "No, I mean... Sokka's here! I can feel him."

"What?"

The earthbender stands and points in the direction where she can feel the vibrations coming from. After traveling with Team Avatar for quite a while now, she can recognize Sokka's steps anywhere. There's no mistaking it. The water tribesman is returning. And by the feel of it, he's moving fast.

"He's coming from this way. He's getting closer. I think he's running."

Katara and Zuko immediately exchange glances and move to stand just under the edge of their shelter, out of the rain, but wanting to get a closer look as they await the supposed arrival of their missing team member. It takes about another thirty seconds or so, but lo and behold, out of the storm appears Sokka. He's absolutely drenched but otherwise looks relatively unscathed. Katara sighs in relief when she spots him and rushes out to meet him, pulling him into a hug before tugging him out of the rain.

 _I was so worried about you_ , she tells him. _I thought something happened._

_Don't worry. I'm okay._

"Sokka!" Aang shouts, flashing his friend a grin when their eyes meet.

The teen smiles in response to Aang's greeting, waving a hand at him, before he's suddenly attacked with a hug from the young boy. This doesn't last long though, as Aang quickly pulls away once he realizes just how wet Sokka is from being out in the rain for so long. Making a shocked face, he tries his best to sign what he recently learned.

_Wet. Clothes. Change._

Sokka nods, stepping forward and clasping Toph's shoulder for a brief moment in greeting.

"Nice to have you back, Snoozles." She gives him a rough punch on the arm.

Sokka pouts and rubs at his arm for a moment as if in pain, but the moment passes quickly. Smiling in amusement, he gives her a little shove and then steps away, going to find some privacy to change. It's not lost on any of them, even Toph, that he completely ignores Zuko upon his arrival.

Zuko rubs the back of his neck, his voice quiet when he speaks. "Uh… Good to see you too, Sokka."


	2. Chapter Two

The next day, Katara suggests that Zuko talk to him.

Zuko feels a strange amount of pressure, mostly because he's not confident that he'll be able to get his every thought and feeling across to Sokka in a way that he will accurately understand. A casual conversation about the weather is easy, but how do you apologize to someone and try to convince them that you care about them when you can barely speak the same language? At least, without a scroll to write on. It seems impossible. He's never been good at things like this.

Sokka, however, seems to understand right away.

When Zuko signs _I'm sorry_ , Sokka quickly signs back _It's okay_.

Like the others, including even Toph, Zuko has been picking up a few signs here and there. There are some that are repeated so often in front of him that he understands without much of an explanation. Still, being part of the group for such a limited amount of time, there is so much he doesn't know how to say yet. He wants to learn for Sokka, to be able to converse with him one day in a way that doesn't involve a struggle on either of their parts. Having to express ideas, especially serious ones about war strategies, is hard when you have to rely on a game of charades. Zuko wants Sokka to know what his intentions are, so he tries to remember what Katara showed him.

_I want to learn_ , he signs.

Sokka smiles and tilts his head. _You want to learn?_

_I want to learn. You. Talk._

The warrior lets out a chuckle. _You want to learn sign language_ _so that you can talk to me._

Zuko frowns, unable to keep up with Sokka's fluid movements. "I don't know what you're saying. I'm just trying to tell you that… well, that I want to learn how to communicate with you." He stares back at Sokka, who is trying his best to understand the words that are coming out of his mouth, but Zuko knows that lipreading is hard. He's been trying it. So, he repeats himself, slowly, giving up on using the few signs he knows in favor of making exaggerated movements with his hands. "I… want… to… learn… how… to… speak… to… you…"

Sokka gives him a nod in understanding, a smile on his face. Then, he points to himself.

"You," Zuko says.

The young water tribesman nods, then points a finger at the prince.

"Me."

Once satisfied that Zuko is following so far, Sokka extends his arms to draw a big square. Inside of the square, he begins to mimic out the writing of symbols. Zuko raises a brow as he tries to make sense of Sokka's invisible drawing in the air.

"Writing? Are you writing something?"

Sokka then makes a long line, using his hands to show that it is something he's able to hold, like a stick. Then, using his invisible stick, he pretends to smack the invisible board in front of him with authority. He doesn't forget to wag a finger at the banished prince either, giving him a stern look.

Zuko frowns. "What? I don't know what you're doing."

_Teach_ , Sokka signs. _I will teach you_.

"What in the world are you saying? I can't understand you." Sighing, the prince can't help but wonder why he's even trying. It's obvious that he's not ready to have a full blown discussion with Sokka, at least not without Katara around, or even Aang. Still, he has to give the younger boy credit for trying. Sokka has more patience than anyone. The least he could do is give him some more of his time. "Tell me again."

Sokka, also a bit frustrated that Zuko didn't understand his actions, reaches for his hand instead. He ignores Zuko's confused look and holds the firebender's hand open, palm facing up. Then, Sokka begins to write the word 'teach' with his fingertip, slowly and with a decent amount of pressure. Zuko stares at his hand for a moment, it taking him a few seconds before he acknowledges what's going on.

"Teach," he says. "You're going to teach me sign language?"

_Yes,_ Sokka signs. _I will teach you_.

* * *

Strangely enough, even after their promising conversation, Zuko can feel Sokka avoiding him.

This confuses the prince. He thought things with Sokka went well, perhaps even suspiciously so. The water tribesman had seemed excited to connect with him and promised to help teach him sign language. Still, after Zuko excused himself to go help Aang train, Sokka stopped trying to grab his attention. Zuko had seen Sokka tap everyone on the shoulder except for him. This makes him wonder if there's a part of him that is still upset, or if he's just trying to be careful not to overdo it. With the way he'd rejected him before, he can't say he'd really blame him for being wary.

A nasty feeling settles in the pit of Zuko's stomach. He can't change what happened in the past, but he can't help but feel guilty for everything that he's ever done to hurt the young warrior.

"Why isn't he talking to me?" He asks Momo later. "I apologized to him like everyone wanted me to. I thought things would be fine by now."

The lemur stares at him for a moment before flying away.

Zuko sighs. "You don't even want to talk to me either. Why does that not surprise me?"

"Who are you talking to, Sparky Pants?"

Judging from the voice and the nickname alone, Zuko doesn't need to turn around to know that Toph has joined him. Still, he gives the earthbender a glance and shakes his head, watching as she sits beside him. "Nobody. I was just… thinking out loud to myself. Were you eavesdropping?"

"No. I just happened to be walking by and heard you moping." Toph casually earthbends a small wall of rocks behind her so that she can lean against it like a chair. "Let me guess. Snoozles won't talk to you since you hurt his feelings and now you're sad because you actually want his attention."

"I did not hurt his feelings," Zuko responds, sounding defensive.

"Really?"

The prince groans. "Okay, fine. I might have hurt his feelings a little bit. But I already talked to him about it and I thought we were cool. I mean, he accepted my apology and everything. I don't understand why he's still being so… weird."

Toph smiles. "Sokka's always weird. Have you considered that as an explanation?"

"No, but I suppose you're right…" The firebender eyes the girl beside him for a moment, before picking up a small pebble and tossing it away from him. "How do you even know what Sokka is like, anyway? You guys don't seem to talk much."

"Snoozles and I have our ways of communicating. I wouldn't expect you people to understand."

Zuko shrugs. "I'm genuinely curious. I don't understand how you make it work. You can't see what he's signing or what he's writing and he can't hear what you're saying. Isn't it hard?"

The earthbender looks like she's going to crack a joke at first, but she stops herself. She takes a moment to think about it, then nods, looking surprisingly serious for once. "Yeah, it is hard sometimes… It's hard a lot of the time, actually. It's not like anything about it is convenient. But still, we make it work anyway. I guess we both have the patience necessary to try to understand each other. Our situations may be different, but we have similar experiences, so that helped us connect in a way."

"Because you're both disabled."

"Because we're both _different,_ " she corrects. "And because we both know what it's like to be treated differently because of that."

Zuko grunts in response, but says nothing for a moment. He reaches up to gently touch his scar, the thing that makes _him_ different, before he continues the conversation. "I know you just admitted it's not easy, but I wish I could connect with him in the way that you do. Even with you it seems so… simple. You guys just touch each other and you know. You put a smile on his face so fast."

Toph smiles at the thought herself. "That's because we care about each other. Not that you need to repeat that."

"I won't." He has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "I just wish that I could talk to him in the way that you do, without having to talk to him at all. It should be easier for me and it just isn't. I don't know why that is."

"It's probably because you're expecting too much out of it. These sorts of things, they take time."

"But I'm not expecting anything at all, and there _is_ no time," Zuko responds.

"Then maybe that's what your problem is," Toph suggests. "You're approaching everything too negatively! You want to talk to Sokka but you feel pressured to break through to him as quickly as possible. You just want to rush through every conversation thinking that talking to him for two seconds is going to change things between you two. But it doesn't really change much at all, and you don't have any hope that it will either, which makes you hesitant to try again. You're stuck in a vicious cycle."

Zuko sighs. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Toph replies, punching him on the arm. "I'm a genius!"

The prince frowns and rubs his arm, but doesn't acknowledge the punch otherwise. "Okay. But if you're right, then how do I fix it? What am I supposed to do differently?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about you try being positive for a change? Has that ever crossed your mind?"

* * *

Zuko has limited interactions with Sokka for the next couple days. Though they say good morning to each other and ask each other to pass the rice or the water, there's not much else that goes on between them. Sokka is as animated as ever when he speaks to Katara and Aang, and Sokka still shares private laughter with Toph whenever they're beside each other. But the water tribesman still doesn't seem to be giving him much attention at all, despite his promise to teach him sign language. Zuko wonders if he's supposed to make the first move and ask Sokka to practice with him, but every time he has Sokka's attention, he doesn't seem to know what to say.

It isn't until Zuko asks Sokka to spar with him that the warrior even seems interested in acknowledging him. It's been a while, he could use some practice with the sword.

The two battle it out in an open area, lost in their own world. Despite his deafness, Sokka is agile and swift, skilled with a blade. He can definitely hold his own and has had to on many occasions. It's moments like these when Zuko doesn't see Sokka as just Katara's deaf brother, but as an equal. Though he doesn't try to look down on the water tribesman for his inability to hear nor bend, same as he doesn't look down on Toph for her inability to see, the prince has to admit that sometimes he views Sokka as someone who needs taking care of - someone who shouldn't be out in the middle of war. Though this sentiment could be said about all of them, Sokka is the one he's always doubtest the most. Zuko feels stupid for ever questioning the warrior's abilities. Sokka has always made a good opponent, he knows this from experience, and Sokka makes an even greater teammate now.

Regretful of his prejudice, Zuko tries to give him a compliment. "You really know what you're doing."

Sokka simply stares at him in the way that Sokka always stares at people, to try to understand what they're trying to say.

Zuko repeats himself, once again using his hands to help explain. "You..." He points to Sokka. "Really know…" He points to his head. "How to use a sword." He then points to Sokka's weapon, before quickly repeating everything he just did. "You… know… sword."

The water tribesman seems pleased by this, smiling and nodding before signing back. _You too_.

Zuko responds. _Thank you_.

Then, the prince motions for Sokka to follow him so they can head back to camp. Saying that Zuko is tired would be an understatement. He's exhausted, but in the way that feels satisfying for once. As Sokka falls into step beside him, the two walk, engulfed in a comfortable silence that is only broken by the sound of their footsteps and their breathing. Zuko thinks that this is what a connection is. This must be what it feels like to be friends with someone, to be comfortable in their presence and not have to say a word to each other to understand each other. It's the closest he's ever felt to Sokka and strangely enough it's because they aren't trying to be close at all. It's odd, but he likes it.

They aren't too far from camp when Sokka stops him, grabbing his sleeve in the process. Zuko stops as well, caught off guard by the sudden pause, and gives Sokka a questioning look. Sokka smiles and turns his attention to the sky, pointing out the sun that is due to be setting soon.

_Sun_ , Sokka signs after a moment.

Zuko raises a brow at him, but eventually repeats the sign. _Sun_.

Sokka nods, pointing up to the sun to make sure that Zuko understands the meaning behind the movements of his fingers. Not wanting the prince to think he's simply referring to the sky or to the clouds, he begins to draw out a giant sun with his hands like he's playing charades again. He draws a circle, some lines around the circle, then begins to fan himself, pretending to wipe his sweat.

"The sun?" Zuko asks. "Is that the sun?"

_Yes!_ Sokka signs back.

"Oh. Okay. Um… thank you for teaching me that."

However, the water tribesman isn't done, so he points at himself and then Zuko, before motioning over to a big tree. Then, he mimics the act of climbing, before pointing back up at the sun and demonstrating its descent with his hands.

"Sun…" Zuko says, trying to guess the meaning behind the warrior's actions. "The sun is moving. The sun is… going down. It's going down? Are you talking about the sunset?"

Sokka once again points to a tree before walking over to it. He sets down his sword and then motions up, up, up, before once again mimicking the act of climbing. For a moment, Zuko just stares at him in a confused manner, but when Sokka makes a motion of watching and then points back to the sun yet again, a lightbulb goes off in Zuko's head.

"You want to climb the tree to watch the sunset?"

The younger boy smiles and begins to climb the tree, not waiting for an answer. Zuko watches for a moment, fascinated by Sokka's expertise in climbing, before he sets his own sword down as well. Zuko is hesitant though. Truthfully, he has no interest in climbing any trees, especially not when he knows there's probably spiders or other weird creatures living in them. Still, Sokka has already made his move and Zuko feels that he's obligated to follow him. As cheesy as it may be, the warrior wants to watch the sunset together - as friends - and Zuko knows that's something he can't deny the younger of. He shouldn't deny himself of it either.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asks, but when his question literally falls on deaf ears, he shakes his head at himself and begins to follow. "Why do I even bother asking? You can't even hear what I'm saying."

Sokka leads the way up the tree, going high enough to have a good view of the pink sky, but not so high that he'd be unable to get back down. When he catches Zuko's gaze, he notices the firebender mouthing for him to be careful, and Sokka nods before patting the branch beside his, welcoming him to sit. After a slight struggle, the prince makes his way to the branch that Sokka reserved for him, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree. He's not sure why Sokka had to get him up a tree just to watch the sun do what it always does, especially after such an exhausting sparring session, but he doesn't want to complain.

Well, he _does_ , but he's trying not to. Toph told him to be more positive, after all.

"You're crazy," he says, looking at Sokka. Then, he looks out at the view and sighs.

For a while, the two just sit there, engulfed in a beautiful quiet once more. Zuko can feel the breeze against his skin and closes his eyes to focus on the peacefulness that surrounds them. Nearby, there's some kind of bird chirping, the leaves rustling in the wind. Eventually, the prince glances over to look at the warrior a few feet away from him. Sokka is staring out into the horizon, looking pensive. Zuko wants to say something, to ask him what he's thinking about, but he's afraid that playing charades in a tree is too dangerous. His hands are busy holding onto branches so that he doesn't fall, so he simply ignores the warrior and goes back to admiring the view for himself. At this point, he's come to realize that not everything needs to be said with words.

When the sun really begins to set, Zuko seems to understand. It is beautiful, he has to admit, but it's been a while since he's really stopped to appreciate it. He feels connected to even himself more than usual in this moment, to his element. As he watches the sun move down in the sky, Zuko reflects on his choices, both past and present. He knows this is where he is meant to be. Maybe not exactly in a tree, but he's definitely with the right people.

He's about to say they should start heading back before Katara gets worried, but he never gets the chance to. The moment he opens his mouth to speak, it's Sokka's voice that he hears instead of his own. And he's screaming. Before Zuko even has time to react, the branch that Sokka has been sitting on snaps under his weight with a vicious cracking sound, sending the young warrior tumbling a lengthy distance below.

Then, Zuko is deafened by the most sickening sound in the world.

It is the sound of silence. It is the loudest silence he has ever heard.

"Sokka!" Breathing hard, Zuko carefully begins to inch himself down and out of the tree. When he's close enough to the ground to make the jump safely, he does so. He lands a few feet away from Sokka and is at his side in an instant. The water tribesman is alive, but he's out cold. Zuko can see a bit of blood on his arm, but it's nothing that appears to be too serious. Overall, the boy seems to be relatively unscathed despite the fall. This is a miracle in itself as Zuko knows a fall like this could have easily been much worse. "Sokka? Sokka, come on. Stay with me."

It takes a few moments, but eventually the warrior begins to rouse. Confused and aching, Sokka releases a groan and opens his eyes to look at Zuko.

"Sokka!" Zuko shouts, relieved. "You're okay. Don't worry."

But Sokka doesn't feel okay, so he is worried. It takes him some time but eventually his brain boots back up and he remembers what happened. He remembers falling. Frowning, he glances down at his body to take inventory of it, wanting to ensure he's got all the parts he needs. Then, after being satisfied that he's not missing any limbs, he glances at Zuko again, noticing the way the prince is looking at him with concern and perhaps a little bit of annoyance.

_That hurt_ , Sokka signs.

Zuko doesn't know what it means, but seeing the warrior try to communicate at all seems like a good sign, so he takes a deep breath and relaxes. The concern he feels starts to dissipate as Sokka sits up and begins brushing himself off, but the concern is slowly being replaced with anger. When Sokka reaches out for his hand, he gently pulls him up to his feet, but he doesn't miss out on the opportunity to glare at him.

Sokka shoots him a look as if asking what the problem is.

"You're such an idiot," Zuko says. "We shouldn't have gone up there. You could've been killed!"

_Why are you yelling at me?_ Sokka signs. _Are you mad?_

Zuko doesn't know what Sokka is saying and he doesn't care. All he cares about is that the water tribesman narrowly escaped a major injury by some miracle, and despite how much this relieves him, it also just makes him angry. The last thing they need is someone on their team getting hurt or getting themselves killed. Climbing that high up a tree just for the fun of it was a stupid idea.

He tries to tell Sokka this. "What you did was so stupid! Why did you even want to go up there in the first place? We could've easily watched the sunset from the ground. You just put your safety at risk for no reason. How did you not even realize that the branch wasn't going to be able to support you? You should pay attention to stuff like that!"

Sokka blinks. Though he doesn't know exactly what Zuko is yelling about, he thinks he may have an idea. As much as he's shaken up about the incident himself, he can't help but shrink under the prince's stare. It seems that he's made the other furious again without intending to, and while Sokka doesn't understand the exact reasoning behind it, he feels guilty nonetheless. He doesn't like it when Zuko is mad at him like this.

Zuko goes on, nobody to interrupt him. "You scared me, you idiot! I thought you were dead."

The warrior hangs his head, rubbing at his arm and wincing in pain. Then he signs out _I'm sorry_.

The firebender continues to watch the water tribesman with a cold expression, but eventually his expression softens. He reaches out, none too gently, and grabs Sokka by the arm, pulling it closer to inspect the scrape on his arm. It's not anything that Katara won't be able to treat, so he releases the warrior's arm and reaches down to grab the swords. Carrying both of them, he steps closer to Sokka's frame and stares at him, waiting for the warrior to look him in the eyes.

When Sokka does, he's surprised to see that Zuko no longer looks angry. In fact, Zuko almost looks apologetic.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just… don't want anything to happen to you." Despite Sokka being unable to hear these words, Zuko still feels flustered admitting this, so he tries to give another explanation that won't make him sound so sentimental. "If something happens to you when I'm supposed to be watching your back, your sister would kill me. Actually, she'd probably torture me first and then kill me. So, I can't have anything happening to you. You understand."

Sokka raises his brows but doesn't respond.

Zuko doesn't bother saying another word. He sighs again and motions for Sokka to follow him. There is slight hesitation on Sokka's part, but eventually the warrior begins to follow the prince back to camp. Zuko is scary enough when he's angry, but Sokka knows that the one he should really be afraid of is his sister, the one who will likely be ready to chew his head off once he returns to camp looking like he just fell out of a tree.

* * *

After an evening of Katara doting on him and repeatedly reprimanding him for not being careful enough, Sokka finds Zuko lying down and looking up at the stars. At least he was previously, until he closed his eyes for a minute. When Zuko opens his eyes once more, he's surprised to see Sokka's face looking down at him.

"What are you doing?"

Sokka motions to the spot beside Zuko, requesting permission to join. Zuko thinks about it for a moment before finally nodding. Sokka signs out his thanks before taking a seat beside the fire prince, sitting there quietly. Zuko sits up and looks Sokka in the eyes. For a moment, neither of them say anything. Then, Zuko breaks the silence.

"What do you want?" The question comes out a bit harsher than he intends, but Sokka doesn't seem to notice.

_I just want to sit with you,_ Sokka says. _Sit together._

"I don't know what you're saying," Zuko replies. "What does that even mean?"

Sokka shows him his arm, motioning to the bandage, before smiling and giving him a thumbs up. He wants the firebending prince to know that he's fine. Katara patched him up well and he should heal without a scar. Of course, he can't express all of this with just a thumb in the air, but Zuko understands enough.

_I'm okay_ , is what he's trying to say. _Don't worry about me._

"Why are you telling me this? I wasn't even worried about you to begin with."

The water tribesman simply continues to smile before lying back and folding his arms under his head. He looks up at the night sky, counting the stars, not showing the banished prince any indication that he's paying attention to him. It's because he really isn't.

Zuko huffs but eventually lies back down as well.

"I don't understand you. Or maybe I do and I don't understand _that_. Everything about you is so weird."

For a while, the boys are once again engulfed in a surprisingly comfortable silence. Zuko looks up at the stars and finds himself counting them as well, trying to find shapes in them. After a few moments, he turns his head to look at Sokka. Sokka, noticing the movement in his peripheral vision, turns to look at Zuko as well.

There is a brief staredown until Sokka signs _I'm sorry_.

Zuko shakes his head and closes his eyes, feeling the same guilt bubbling up in his stomach again as before. Though he is angry that the non-bender got himself hurt, Zuko knows that the accident wasn't Sokka's fault. It could have easily happened to him too, yet he went along with it without trying to stop him. He doesn't need Sokka's apology. He doesn't want Sokka's apology. The one who should be apologizing is him, again and again until Sokka gets it - _really_ gets it - that Zuko cares and wants to be friends and actually likes to talk to him. He likes trying, anyway, even if it's hard.

Sokka misunderstands. Frowning, he gets up, ready to leave the firebender alone. Clearly Zuko doesn't seem interested in forgiving him. He understands this and figures that the least he could do is give the other teen some privacy. There's no use in forcing anything if they aren't going to feel good about it.

But Sokka is surprised when Zuko grabs him by the wrist to keep him from leaving. He looks back at the firebender and watches as Zuko sits up, looking like he wants to say something but unsure of how to do it. Then, without warning, Sokka receives an even greater shock. Zuko, son of Ozai, actually pulls him close and hugs him. For a second, Sokka stiffens with the contact, not exactly confident he knows what is going on. When he realizes that he's being embraced, however, he loosens up slightly and slips an arm around the older boy's frame, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

Zuko pulls away immediately, feeling awkward now that Sokka has reciprocated the gesture. For a moment, the two boys simply look at each other, twin expressions of surprise and confusion on their faces, until Sokka eventually begins to laugh.

_Friends_ , he says.

Thankfully, that's a sign that Zuko already knows.

_Friends_ , he repeats with a scowl. "But don't tell anyone that I hugged you."


End file.
